October 9, 2009 - Indianapolis, IN - They were two days filled with lots of emotion and no small measure of patriotism as dozens of professional financial advisors met Wednesday, October 7th in Chicago and Thursday, October 8th in Indianapolis to learn how to improve military veterans’ understanding of and ability to improve their benefits following their service to our country.  Both training conferences, presented by The Ohlson Group, Inc., a national insurance and retirement planning agency headquartered in Indianapolis, introduced Underhill & Underhill, Attorneys at Law, and their Lead Paralegal, Paul Miller, whose expertise in dealing with veterans’ benefits is unmatched.

”We are very excited about working with Paul Miller, the Supervising Paralegal and Director of this division,” said Raymond J. Ohlson, CLU, CEO of The Ohlson Group, Inc. “We want to be assured that veterans get the very best advice and that our professional advisors feel comfortable referring their clients to Underhill & Underhill.  According to Miller, who has been involved with veterans’ benefits for over twenty years, “the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs administers the Aid and Attendance Pension benefit program for many wartime veterans and their spouses.”

This pension provides financial assistance to wartime veterans who lack the funds necessary to pay for the care and the assistance they need for routine activities and daily living.  The pension not only pays for the veteran’s care, but also for his or her spouse’s care and, if the veteran passes away, for the surviving spouse’s care.

Miller also explained that a qualified veteran with a spouse can apply for financial assistance of up to $ 22,104 per year, tax-free.  The veteran or spouse can use the Aid and Attendance Pension benefit to help pay for home health care, assistance living, or nursing home care.  “In many cases,” Miller added, “the Aid and Attendance Pension, along with other monthly income or family subsidies, has made it possible for residents to avoid going on Medicaid and remain in their own homes or private-pay assisted living homes.”

Ohlson added, “These seminar were vitally important because they introduced our partners to critical areas of concern for all veterans.  Paul Miller is one of the most knowledgeable experts in the field – he works with advisors every day on this often confusing area of veterans’ benefits.  He stressed throughout the seminar that our advisors need to treat our vets with kid gloves.  They certainly deserve it, and Paul has the depth of experience and knowledge-base to help our advisors with every issue that veterans face in the process, including:

• Counseling veterans and their families regarding eligibility for the Aid and Assistance Pension; and
• Assistance to veterans and their families in completing the Veterans’ Affairs application review process.

Every advisor interviewed following the meeting expressed gratitude to the Ohlson Group for presenting the Underhill & Underhill service and for the chance to work with Paul Miller in this important area of business.

Contact:
Terri Gearlds
The Ohlson Group
510 E. 96th Street, Suite 185
Indianapolis, IN 46240
(317) 844-4411
tgearlds@ohlsongroup.com